Back to Retro: How to Take Your Event Back in Time

Retro is in — so much so that vinyl records have become the audio format of choice at edgy restaurants, and martinis and craft cocktails are all the rage at trendy bars. In an episode of HBO’s hit show, “Big Little Lies,” Laura Dern’s character Renata throws her daughter Amabella (Ivy George) a disco-themed birthday bash. Needless to say, if the hospitality industry and Hollywood are on board with bygone styles and artifacts, the events industry is surely taking note.

Creating a Retro Look

Let’s start with decor. Midcentury modern furniture takes after the style of the ’50s and ’60s that emphasized sleek and simple, uncluttered, geometric shapes. While the retro look of yesteryear also included lime green and burnt orange, you can tone it down with the more neutral palettes of today. Because midcentury modern style is back in such a big way, many venues offer midcentury modern options for an event set-up. But if they don’t, renting standout pieces like a retro leather bar or bar cart, as well as accent pieces like a funky typewriter or rotary dial phone will help set the scene.

Digital Detox

One of the best things about the retro theme is you can also incorporate the popularity of today’s digital detox by asking attendees to leave their smartphones at check-in. If that’s a tad extreme for your group, however, you can simply ask people to put their phones on silent and only take them out when needed. This means, of course, that you’ll have to provide ways for attendees to get their photos taken. Think photo booths or hire photographers taking Polaroid pictures. Another fun way to incorporate the retro theme is by hiring a typewriter poet or two to write customized poems for attendees to take home.

Vinyl Records & Games

Following the no-digital policy, hire a DJ to spin old-school vinyl records, which have become so popular (again!) that record sales have reached a 30-year high, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. Hits from Bill Withers or Earth Wind and Fire are sure to get attendees dancing. Better yet, take cues from hotels that offer records to guests to play on in-room record players, by making a record collection available for attendees to peruse and pick out music to be played. You can make the space interactive, too, by providing retro toys, like hula hoops, jump ropes and croquet or games like Monopoly, Candyland and Twister.

Food & Drink

Cocktails are also becoming increasingly easier to incorporate into events, as bartenders have revived the craft with gusto, even going as far as making their own bitters. Their creativity is endless, as is their ability to improvise, so make use of their talent. If purple is the color of your company logo, you can create a lavender lemon martini that’s a delightful and memorable branding opportunity.

While a lot of retro foods are too cholesterol-heavy for these health-conscious times, there are some classic recipes that never go out of style. Deviled eggs, for instance, can be dressed up with truffle oil or smoked salmon. And who can ever say no to a classic fondue? Of course, it doesn’t get any more retro than casseroles. Pot pie, anyone? You can cuten them up by serving them individually in cast-iron dishes.

If you don’t want to go the retro-food route, you can serve any food you want with a retro-themed set-up. For example, offer passed small plates from cigarette cases, using the same look as the cigarette girls of the 1950s.

Venues That Already Have a Built-In Retro Theme

Retro themes have taken over various event spaces, too, making event design for certain themes a cinch. Here are five venues across the country that were designed to give a serious nod to bygone eras.

The Roxy Hotel Tribeca

The Roxy Hotel Tribeca in New York underwent a complete makeover in 2015, paying tribute to Tribeca’s historic underground music and arts scene. The Roxy offers several event spaces. The Roxy Bar features exposed brick, brown leather couches and a stage to set a retro scene, while the Django creates the look of a Parisian jazz club; Paul’s Cocktail Lounge features vibrant pinks and teals for a more Miami-circa-1970 vibe. Of course, the Roxy Cinema and its traditional plush red-velvet seats are perfect for events that require screenings.

The Watergate Hotel

When Washington, D.C.’s Watergate Hotel reopened in 2016, the opening gala took guests back to 1974 at the height of the scandal that led President Nixon to resign. Attendees checked in at vintage office desks while appetizers were served on trays that featured faux newspapers displaying the headline, “Nixon Resigns.” This playful take on a dark theme was used in the design throughout the entire hotel, including 27,000-square feet of indoor-outdoor event space. The hotel’s Next Whisky Bar, features a wall of 2,500 illuminated whisky bottles as well as a cigar menu for planners looking to add serious taste to their soiree.

The Duck Inn

Chicago’s Duck Inn serves up New American cuisine in an early 20th-century building that once housed a family-owned eatery. While today’s restaurant opened in 2014, its 1960s decor was chosen to represent the era that marked the halfway point between the two establishments. Funky Edison light fixtures and yellow vinyl booths in the restaurant’s bar and banquet area create an inviting lounge atmosphere for up to 50 attendees, while up to 70 guests can gather in the main dining room, which also features exposed brick. The Inn’s food takes after the original menu, placing a modern spin on the hamburgers and duck confit of the early 1900s.

The Statler

The Statler in Dallas originally opened in 1956 and revolutionized the hotel industry. Not only was it the largest hotel in the Southwest for the time, it was also the first to introduce elevator music and 21-inch Westinghouse TV sets in every guest room. Fast-forward 60 years to the hotel’s reopening with its midcentury-modern look intact and 33,000 square feet of event space. Planners can host an event in the actual ballroom where the likes of Frank Sinatra, Styx, Cher and the Jackson Five performed. Groups can get a bit more active over a game of pool, bowling, foosball or ping-pong at the hotel’s Scout restaurant and gaming hub, which features 12,000 square feet of space.

The Hollywood Roosevelt

While Los Angeles is ripe with venues that scream Old Hollywood, The Hollywood Roosevelt screams the loudest. Established in 1927, the hotel’s Blossom Ballroom hosted the very first Academy Awards in 1929. The Spare Room cocktail lounge is another space that takes groups back in time, with two reclaimed bowling lanes, vintage wooden board games and custom cocktails — including a classic salt-and-vinegar martini. Better yet, order one of the four punch bowls on the menu for a throwback to the golden age of the tiki bar.

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